Chikyū-uma
Chikyû-uma (地球馬) is a term used to describe equine characters who appear in 5Ds Blazing Gale. All members of this breed are bipedal and have some ability to perform human capabilities. All members so far have been shown to wear hooded wetsuits along with various pieces of scuba diving equipment. Variants There are two different variants of them. Limited The first one is called Limited Horse Human (有限馬人, Yūgenba-hito), which consists of the group of Akari, Shira and Enrique. This version is mostly animal, with a 4:1 ratio. During Season 1, all known members of this group constantly had to wear respirators and oxygen tanks, alongside heavy air-tight scuba suits. They also could not speak human language, being restricted to general neighing and other horse-like methods of communication. As such, there were translators on their scuba respirators to translate their thoughts to human language. Improved The second and more recent one is the ''Improved Horse Human (改善馬人, Kaizenba-hito), ''consisting of the group Team Hau`oli. They have an inverse animal/human ratio, being mostly human. While members still wear wetsuits, they do not have to wear the breathing equipment and can speak normally. It should also be noted that members of this group have equivalent weights (albeit on the heavier side) of an average human of the same height (Akané is an exception, being approximately the same height and weight as the main protagonist). This breed was developed in Hawaiʻi; as such, they are used to the climate and don't need the breathing equipment like their "relatives" do. (They are, in a way, mostly human, but still retain some of their animal characteristics) Explanation in 5Ds Blazing Gale In Chapter 6, it is explained that these horses were bred as research tests in order to grant them human capabilities (and make them anthromorphic). However, because of this research, the first breed are unable to breathe in regular air like they were able to do before. A certain element is introduced to their systems, which gives them this disadvantage. The air that surrounds Hawaiʻi is especially dangerous to them because any exposure to the air would result in suffocation or other major symptoms. Because of this, they have to wear a modified wetsuit designed specifically for Chikyû-uma, including wearing a scuba respirator. While a chemical suit would have been a better choice, "due to their bulky size (referring to horses), that option was impossible for them at the moment". So for the time being, they are stuck with the suits. Benefits and Drawbacks As said before, the horses were able to become more human-like (i.e. standing on two legs, picking up with their hooves, speaking English, etc). However, the drawbacks include horses being unable to breathe in air normally and thus having to wear the bulky suits every day, which for them weighs almost 40-50 pounds (given that horses are very large animals and require a lot more oxygen than a human; the tank alone is 35-38 pounds). When not wearing them, they are forced to go into a sterilized area. Most of them are able to speak English, but as mentioned earlier, they need the translator on their masks to do so. There is an exception in Enrique, who speaks Spanish. As of Season 2 though, the drawbacks are mostly moot as the affected characters remove breathing equipment. In the case of Team Hauʻoli, they wear regular sized suits instead of the bulkier ones worn by Shira, Akari and Enrique. Reactions in the World So far, these "special-bred" animals have been marked as "strange" due to their looks and their attire, seeing as the average person would not walk around in full scuba gear, unless they were preparing to dive in the sea. As such, some people look down on them and call them "rejects" and "weirdos", but most people give them the proper respect they deserve. Known Members * Shira Yakouma * Akari Yakouma * Enríque Pérez-Cabarro * Makani * Kailani * Akané * Sayuri Trivia * The known members of this breed (1st variant) reside in Elemental Academy. * Chikyû-uma (地球うま) or Chikyû-ba (地球馬) means "earth horse" in Japanese. * It should be noted that Akari and Shira, both members of the first variant, are able to remove their breathing equipment during the second season. The same is shown for Enríque later on. Category:Minor Group Category:Anthro Characters